Air pollution

Exhaust-carbon suppression: If it works on diesel locos why not on diesel buses, cars and trucks also?

On the “Greenhouse Gases Equivalencies Calculator – Calculations and References” page provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) one will find a wealth of information related to greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and their equivalencies. Two areas of particular note as they relate to carbon-dioxide-emissions-releases from U.S.-based cars and diesel trucks examined are: “Gallons … Read more

Halted Grapevine development reapproved, lawsuit filed in response

The below Jan. 10, 2020 press release from the Center for Biological Diversity. The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit today challenging Kern County’s reapproval of the 8,000-acre Grapevine project. The environmentally damaging development will straddle Interstate 5 and create a new city of 12,000 dwelling units and up to 5.1 million square feet … Read more

Will delivery vehicles, drones make our skies dirtier, our air unhealthier? Analysis offers insights

Have you noticed the upswell of delivery vehicle-traffic lately? Welcome to the club. And there is the likelihood there will be drone-based package delivery added to that mix. All of which could be a recipe for dirtier skies and unhealthier air – local or otherwise. A Jan. 10th World Economic Forum-produced report investigates just this … Read more

Car vs transit-bus travel comparison

When taken into consideration that the purchase of fuel and the taxes paid on that fuel, maintenance (e.g. oil and filter changes), insurance, registration, smog testing (biennial or every two years, typically) and parking to name a few, car ownership isn’t exactly an inexpensive proposition. Also there are associated social and environmental costs to consider. … Read more

Latest California high-speed rail plan questioned

A newspaper editorial dealing with the subject of California high-speed rail ran in the Dec. 24, 2019 Los Angeles Daily News edition. Access to the full Daily News editorial can be had here. Discussed is the fifth and final phase or package of the construction program in the San Joaquin Valley or what is known … Read more

The approach that’s best in cleaning air: Top down or bottom up?

Is attacking dirty air from the grassroots level best or cleaning it using the top-down approach? The answer to this question is what we are right here, right now in search of. Each year once per year, representatives from hundreds of nations gather, the purpose of which is to come to agreement regarding identified climate … Read more

In the cargo-delivery game advance trip-planning is everything

When it comes to cargo delivery, the name of the game is coordinated logistics. In America, the end of the year for most is a very busy time. You’ve seen the broadcast television-news images of the holiday travel madness. Car- and truck-overwhelmed freeways and long airport lines. Such scenes leave indelible images imprinted in the … Read more

Air quality in the news: It’s been one notable and at the same time tough year

When it comes to news, 2019 has not been a particularly encouraging nor comforting year where environmental protection is concerned. In getting at specifics, we’re talking air quality news here folks! As a case in point, it was announced that the U.S. had formally withdrawn from the Paris Climate Accord. Here at home also, California … Read more